An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
@manifestmerlin
It wasn't even a particularly weird antique store. No weird owner talking about how the wares came with a price, no sudden appearance, no feeling of being watched when you stepped inside on a whim. Well except for one thing. One thing in that dusty old store made you feel watched: A ventriloquist's dummy, a puppet, with a backwards hat, a gold tooth, and a snazzy little bowtie. He looked like he was made for you. His shirt read ‘Cal’, which you correctly assumed was his name, and his eyes- you made the mistake of looking into his eyes. You saw… you saw... An eternal, burning stage, an infinite cast all speaking at once, their strings rising up past the blinding lights. You didn't look at any of them. You were one of them, and you looked past them, to someone sitting, watching. Dark green like rot and decay, he noticed you.The puppet is- was the fourth wall. You didn't realize there were consequences for locking eyes with the audience. Your strings snapped somewhere high above you, and fell directly into that waiting hand in the seats. You paid for Cal, and when he walked you out of the store, you were not yourself. You doubted you ever really would be.
Chapters: 7/7
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Categories: M/M
Fandoms: Homestuck
Relationships: Dave's Bro | Beta Dirk Strider & Dave Strider, Dave's Bro | Beta Dirk Strider & Karkat Vantas, Dave Strider/Karkat Vantas, Dave's Bro | Beta Dirk Strider/The Signless | The Sufferer
Characters: Dave's Bro | Beta Dirk Strider, Dave Strider, Lil Cal (Homestuck), Karkat Vantas, The Signless | The Sufferer
Additional Tags: POV Dave's Bro | Beta Dirk Strider, Non-Abusive Dave's Bro | Beta Dirk Strider, Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Christianity, Antichrist, Second Coming of Jesus Christ (Christianity), Demonic Possession, POV Second Person, Time Skips, Loss of Identity, Adopted Children, Background Rose's Mom | Beta Roxy Lalonde, Background Calliope (Homestuck), Background Caliborn (Homestuck), Miracles
An entrant in the Homestuck Fan Author Coalition's June 2025 Competition: Godstuck.
Awards:
